Evaluating an Online Wellness Program for Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis

W. Benjamin Nowell, PhD, discusses his American College of Rheumatology Convergence 2022 presentation “Managing Psoriatic Arthritis: Patients’ Views and Attitudes to Using an Online Wellness Program.” Nowell is Director of Patient-Centered Research at the Global Healthy Living Foundation and affiliated with CreakyJoints.

“Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a pretty debilitating and difficult disease,” Nowell emphasized. “And although there's very effective treatments for this condition, something that we know about people living with a chronic disease autoimmune condition is that it takes more than just a medication to feel good.”

The online cross-sectional survey focused on factors, such as sleep, hygiene, exercise, stress management, and nutrition, to understand more about patients’ preferences and attitudes regarding wellness programs, as well as perceived barriers they face when adopting healthy changes. Eligible patients were adults living with PsA, currently receiving treatment, and were enrolled in the ArthritisPower registry.

“We learned some really interesting things about how they perceive wellness and wellness programs,” Nowell explained. “One of the things that stood out for me was that they perceived that cost and not having enough energy were barriers to participation.”

Moreover, approximately one third of patients were unsure of what to do or where to go to learn about healthy lifestyle changes.

“To me, that really speaks to the need that we have to help direct patients to wellness types of programs and let them know what's available and where they can participate,” Nowell concluded. “There's a real interest and need for wellness programs out there among people living with psoriatic arthritis. This is something that matters to them even more now living with a chronic disease.”